Control device and control method of passenger conveying equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a control device and a control method of passenger conveying equipment, which can reduce power consumption and can perform operation of the passenger conveying equipment according to utilization conditions of passengers. The control device (36) of the passenger conveying equipment comprises a load information obtaining part (363) which obtains load information of a driving device for driving the passenger conveying equipment in a preset period and records the load information and information of obtaining time of the load information in a corresponding mode; a calculation part (364) which outputs information of a standby operation mode which can further reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveying equipment when a time period corresponding to the acquisition time of the load information is set in a plurality of standby operation modes; and an operation control part (367) which controls the operation of the passenger conveying equipment based on the output information of the standby operation mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device and a control method for a passenger conveyor. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as an operation mode of a passenger conveyor, schedule operation is known. In schedule operation, based on a schedule set in advance by a user according to the day of the week and time, the operation control of the passenger conveyor is performed. However, in this operation mode, it takes time for the user to set the operation schedule of the passenger conveyor. In addition, when the usage status of the passenger conveyor changes, if the operation is performed according to the pre-set schedule, problems such as an inability to appropriately transport passengers may sometimes occur. In such a case, the convenience of passengers using the passenger conveyor is impaired.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an escalator control system that analyzes the operation status of an escalator based on the number of detected passengers, the weight of the passengers, and the storage of images from a surveillance camera for a certain period, and performs the operation control of the escalator based on an operation schedule data table generated according to the analysis.

[0004] However, during the operation of a passenger conveyor, operation based on a standby operation mode is sometimes performed. The standby operation mode is an operation mode of a passenger conveyor during a standby time when no passengers are detected.

[0005] Examples of the standby operation mode include an automatic operation mode and a low-speed operation mode. The automatic operation mode is an operation mode in which the operation stops before a passenger is detected and starts when a passenger is detected. The low-speed operation mode is an operation mode in which the operation is performed at a low speed lower than the rated speed before a passenger is detected and the operation speed is increased to the rated speed when a passenger is detected. These standby operation modes are also switched based on a pre-determined schedule.

[0006] However, in the case of performing operation using any one of the standby operation modes fixedly, or in the case of not appropriately setting the schedule for switching the standby operation mode, depending on the usage status of the escalator, a situation may occur in which energy saving of the passenger conveyor cannot be effectively achieved. For example, assume a usage status in which the standby time of standby operation without detecting passengers continues for a long time. When operating in the low-speed operation mode in such a usage status, the power consumption of the passenger conveyor is larger than when operating in the automatic operation mode.

[0007] In addition, it is assumed that the usage status of passengers is detected at regular time intervals. When the automatic operation mode is applied under such a usage status, the stopping and starting of the passenger conveyor are repeated multiple times in a short cycle. That is, starting power is generated multiple times in the passenger conveyor. In this case, the power consumption of the passenger conveyor is greater than that during operation in the very slow operation mode.

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-143450 Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. An object of the present invention is to be able to reduce power consumption and to be able to operate a passenger conveyor corresponding to the usage status of passengers.

[0010] A control device for a passenger conveyor according to one aspect of the present invention is a control device for a passenger conveyor that operates based on a standby operation mode during a standby period in which no passengers are detected by a passenger detection unit. A control device for a passenger conveyor according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a load information acquisition unit that acquires load information of a drive device that drives a passenger conveyor during a predetermined period and records the load information in association with information on the acquisition time of the load information; an arithmetic unit that outputs information on a standby operation mode that can further reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveyor during a time period set to correspond to the acquisition time of the load information among a plurality of standby operation modes; and an operation control unit that controls the operation of the passenger conveyor based on the information on the standby operation mode output from the arithmetic unit.

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce power consumption and to be able to operate a passenger conveyor corresponding to the usage status of passengers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a schematic side view showing a structural example of a passenger conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 It shows an example of the transition of the power consumption of a passenger conveyor during automatic operation based on an automatic operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 It shows an example of the transition of the power consumption amount of a passenger conveyor during very slow operation based on a very slow operation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 It is a graph showing an example of a usage status in which the cycle of the arrival of the standby time is short according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5It is a graph showing an example of a usage situation where the time length of each standby time in an embodiment of the present invention is long.

[0017] Figure 6 It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware structure of a control device for a passenger conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 7 It shows an example of a schedule of a passenger conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 8 It is a flowchart showing an example of the order of control processing of a passenger conveyor performed by a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Embodiment

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same function or structure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0021] <Structure of Passenger Conveyor>

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic side view schematically showing an example of the structure of a passenger conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 1 shown, the passenger conveyor 10 is an inclined passenger conveyor that transports passengers 12 between the upper and lower floors of a building structure, that is, an escalator. In the present embodiment, the case where the passenger conveyor 10 is an escalator that transports passengers 12 from the lower floor to the upper floor, that is, an up escalator, is taken as an example for description, but the present invention can also be applied to a down escalator or a moving walkway, etc.

[0023] The passenger conveyor 10 includes a frame 14, an endless step chain 16, a lower sprocket 18, an upper sprocket 20, a plurality of steps 22 for passengers to ride on and transport passengers, and a handrail panel 24.

[0024] The frame 14 is installed between the lower and upper floors of the building structure. A lower machine room 26 is provided at one end in the length direction of the frame 14, and an upper machine room 27 is provided at the other end in the length direction of the frame 14. The lower machine room 26 is blocked by a lower entrance floor 28, and the upper machine room 27 is blocked by an upper entrance floor 29. In the present embodiment, since the passenger conveyor 10 is an up escalator, the lower entrance floor 28 is arranged at the upper landing 30, and the upper entrance floor 29 is arranged at the lower landing 31.

[0025] The step chain 16 is a chain for circulating and moving a plurality of steps 22. The step chain 16 is wound around a lower sprocket 18 and an upper sprocket 20. The lower sprocket 18 is disposed in a lower machine room 26, and the upper sprocket 20 is disposed in an upper machine room 27. In addition, a drive device 34 and a control device 36 are disposed in the upper machine room 27.

[0026] The drive device 34 is a device for rotationally driving the upper sprocket 20. The drive device 34 includes a motor 38 as a drive source. A converter 32 for controlling the rotational speed of the motor 38 is connected to the motor 38 (see Figure 6 ). The converter 32 controls the rotational speed of the motor 38 by changing the frequency of the power supplied to the motor 38. The converter 32 controls the rotational speed of the motor 38 in accordance with a speed command signal provided from the control device 36. The rotational speed of the upper sprocket 20 and the moving speed of the steps 22 described above are determined by the rotational speed of the motor 38.

[0027] In addition, the drive device 34 includes a speed reducer 40 that transmits the driving force of the motor 38 to the upper sprocket 20. The speed reducer 40 has an output sprocket 42, and a drive chain 44 is wound around the output sprocket 42 and the upper sprocket 20.

[0028] A plurality of steps 22 are respectively connected to the step chain 16. The plurality of steps 22 are guided by a pair of left and right tracks (not shown) and move. Within the range visible to the passengers 12, the plurality of steps 22 move from the upper landing 30 toward the lower landing 31 between the lower entrance floor 28 and the upper entrance floor 29.

[0029] The railing panel 24 is disposed above the frame 14. One railing panel 24 is disposed on each side in the width direction of the frame 14 so as to be located on both sides of the plurality of steps 22. A moving handrail 46 is provided at the peripheral portion of the railing panel 24. The moving handrail 46 is formed by a handrail that is an annular belt-like member.

[0030] In the passenger conveyor 10 configured with the above structure, when the upper sprocket 20 is rotated by the driving force of the drive device 34, the driving force is transmitted to the lower sprocket 18 via the step chain 16. Thus, the lower sprocket 18 rotates together with the upper sprocket 20. In addition, the step chain 16 circulates between the lower sprocket 18 and the upper sprocket 20, and the plurality of steps 22 circulate together with the step chain 16. On the other hand, the moving handrail 46 receives the driving force for movement from the step chain 16, and thus circulates at the same speed as the plurality of steps 22.

[0031] In addition, the passenger conveyance device 10 includes an upper landing side passenger sensor 51 and a lower landing side passenger sensor 52. The upper landing side passenger sensor 51 (an example of a passenger detection unit) is a passenger sensor provided on the upper landing 30 side. The lower landing side passenger sensor 52 is a passenger sensor provided on the lower landing 31 side.

[0032] The upper landing side passenger sensor 51 and the lower landing side passenger sensor 52 can be configured using, for example, a reflective sensor or the like. In addition, the upper landing side passenger sensor 51 and the lower landing side passenger sensor 52 can also be configured using other sensors such as a scanning distance sensor or an image sensor. Furthermore, the upper landing side passenger sensor 51 and the lower landing side passenger sensor 52 can be configured by sensors of different types.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the control device 36 of the passenger conveyance device 10 includes an arithmetic unit 364 (see Figure 6 ), and this arithmetic unit 364 takes the utilization status information of the passenger conveyance device 10 acquired by the load information acquisition unit 363 (see Figure 6 ) as an input and outputs information on the standby operation mode of the passenger conveyance device 10. More specifically, the arithmetic unit 364 outputs information on the standby operation mode for which the predicted power consumption of the passenger conveyance device 10 calculated based on the utilization status information of the passenger conveyance device 10 is less. The utilization status information is information represented by the correspondence information between the load information of the drive device 34 acquired from the converter 32 and the acquisition time of the load information.

[0034] And, the operation control unit 367 (see Figure 6 ) of the control device 36 switches the standby operation mode based on a switching schedule (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a "schedule") of the standby operation mode of the passenger conveyance device 10 generated according to the output from the arithmetic unit 364.

[0035] <Types of standby operation modes>

[0036] The standby operation modes of the passenger conveyance device 10 include, for example, an automatic operation mode and a low-speed operation mode. In the automatic operation mode, the passenger conveyance device 10 stops operating during a period when no passenger 12 is detected and starts (begins operation) when a passenger 12 is detected. In the low-speed operation mode, the passenger conveyance device 10 operates at a low speed lower than the rated speed during a period when no passenger 12 is detected and accelerates the operation speed to the rated speed when a passenger 12 is detected.

[0037] Figure 2 An example showing the transition of the power consumption of the passenger conveyance device 10 during automatic operation based on the automatic operation mode. Figure 3An example showing the change in the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10 during low-speed operation based on the low-speed operation mode. Figure 2 And Figure 3 In the graph shown, the vertical axis represents the operating speed V [m / min] and the power consumption W [Va] of the passenger conveyor 10, and the horizontal axis represents the time T [s]. Additionally, in Figure 2 And Figure 3 , the operating speed of the passenger conveyor 10 is represented by a dashed line, and the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10 is represented by a solid line.

[0038] As Figure 2 shown, in the automatic operation mode, at the time point of time T1 when the passenger 12 is detected, the passenger conveyor 10 starts and begins to operate. At this time, a large starting power is applied to the passenger conveyor 10. After the starting power is applied, the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10 drops sharply, and further decreases after the time point T2 when the operating speed of the passenger conveyor 10 reaches the rated speed of 30 [m / min]. Then, at the time point T3 when the passenger 12 is detected again, the starting power is applied to the passenger conveyor 10 again.

[0039] On the other hand, in the low-speed operation mode, during the process of transporting the passenger 12, the passenger conveyor 10 operates at 30 [m / min]. Then, at the time point of time T11 when the passenger 12 disappears, the operation of the passenger conveyor 10 transfers to low-speed operation at 10 [m / min]. In addition, at the time point T12 when the passenger 12 is detected again, the operating speed of the passenger conveyor 10 is accelerated, and this acceleration is carried out during the period until the operating speed reaches the rated speed of 30 [m / min].

[0040] Regarding the power consumption during waiting for the passenger 12, it is larger during the operation based on the low-speed operation mode than during the operation based on the automatic operation mode. However, in the usage situation where the standby and start of the passenger conveyor 10 are repeated at a short cycle, when operating in the automatic operation mode where the starting power is generated multiple times, the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10 becomes larger.

[0041] Figure 4 is a graph showing an example of a usage situation where the cycle for the standby time to arrive is short, Figure 5 is a graph showing an example of a usage situation where the length of each standby time is long. Figure 4 And Figure 5 The vertical axis of the graph represents the number of passengers (persons), and the horizontal axis represents the time T (s).

[0042] In Figure 4In the graph shown, since the time periods with a large number of passengers arrive frequently, the standby time of the passenger conveyor 10 for each time is shortened, and the cycle at which the standby time arrives is also shortened. Suppose such a usage situation of the passengers 12 occurs, for example, at a station during a crowded time period. In such a usage situation, when the automatic operation mode is applied, the starting power of the passenger conveyor 10 is generated multiple times, and the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10 becomes high.

[0043] On the other hand, in Figure 5 In the graph shown, only one standby time is generated during the period shown in the graph, and the standby time for one time is long. Suppose such a usage situation occurs, for example, at a station with few passengers, a connecting passage during idle time, etc. In such a usage situation, when performing automatic operation with less power consumption during standby, the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10 becomes low.

[0044] In any one of the automatic operation mode and the low-speed operation mode, after the passenger conveyor 10 detects the passenger 12, it performs a basic operation of operating for a period of time obtained by adding about 40 s of margin time to the operation time for half a cycle. And, during the execution of the basic operation for one cycle of the passenger conveyor 10, in a usage situation where the possibility of the passenger 12 boarding the passenger conveyor 10 is high, operating based on the low-speed operation mode can further reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10.

[0045] On the other hand, suppose a usage situation where the possibility of the passenger 12 boarding the passenger conveyor 10 is low during the execution of the basic operation of the passenger conveyor 10, and the power consumption during the standby time until the next detection of the passenger 12 is greater than the starting power generated during automatic operation. In such a usage situation, operating based on the automatic operation mode can further reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the machine learning unit 365 of the control device 36 of the passenger conveyor 10 pre-learns the usage situation information of the passenger conveyor 10. Then, based on the predicted power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10 calculated from the usage situation information, the machine learning unit 365 outputs information on an appropriate standby operation mode, that is, the automatic operation mode or the low-speed operation mode.

[0047] <Structure of the control system of the passenger conveyor>

[0048] Next, the structure of the control system of the passenger conveyor 10 of the present embodiment will be described. Figure 6 It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware structure of the control device 36 of the passenger conveyor 10.

[0049] The control device 36 can be constituted by a computer, and includes a control unit 361 and a non-volatile memory 362 that are respectively connected to the bus B. In addition, the control device 36 includes a load information acquisition unit 363, an arithmetic unit 364, a schedule creation unit 366, an operation control unit 367, and a communication I / F (Interface) 368.

[0050] The control unit 361 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 361a, a ROM (ReadOnly Memory) 361b, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 361c.

[0051] The CPU 361a reads out the program code of the software for implementing the respective functions of the present embodiment from the ROM 361b, expands it in the RAM 361c, and executes it. Variables, parameters, etc. generated during the arithmetic processing of the CPU 361a are temporarily written in the RAM 361c.

[0052] In addition, the control unit 361 may include a processing device such as an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) instead of the CPU 361a. In addition, in the control unit 361, a CPU and an MPU may be used in combination. In addition, the control unit 361 may be constituted by an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (ApplicationSpecific Integrated Circuit), or the like.

[0053] As the non-volatile memory 362, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an optical disc, a non-volatile memory card, or the like is used. In this non-volatile memory 362, in addition to the OS (Operating System) and various parameters, the program of the software for implementing the respective functions of the present embodiment is also recorded. The program may also be stored in the ROM 361b.

[0054] The program is stored in the form of a computer-readable program code, and the CPU 361a sequentially executes the operations according to the program code. That is, the ROM 361b or the non-volatile memory 362 is used as an example of a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium that stores the program executed by the computer.

[0055] In addition, the usage status information generated by the load information acquisition unit 363 is stored in the non-volatile memory 362.

[0056] The load information acquisition unit 363 acquires the load information of the drive device 34 (refer to Figure 1 ) from the converter 32 during a predetermined period. The load information includes, for example, torque, output power, etc. The load information acquired from the converter 32 varies according to the number of passengers 12 using the passenger conveyor 10. That is, the time series information of the load information is information indicating the usage status of the passenger conveyor 10 by the passengers 12.

[0057] The load information acquisition unit 363 stores, in the non-volatile memory 362, the correspondence information between the load information acquired from the converter 32 and the time information such as the day of the week and time period when the load information is acquired, as the usage status information. In addition, when the building (facility) where the passenger conveyor 10 is installed is, for example, a shopping mall, etc., it is preferable that the time information also includes information related to specific situations such as events held in the facility.

[0058] The arithmetic unit 364 inputs the usage status information to the machine learning unit 365 and obtains an output from the machine learning unit 365.

[0059] The machine learning unit 365 takes the usage status information as input and outputs information on the standby operation mode preferably implemented on the day of the week and time. The standby operation mode is the above-mentioned "low-speed operation mode" or "automatic operation mode". In the present embodiment, the machine learning unit 365 outputs information on the standby operation mode in which the power consumption during standby of the passenger conveyor 10 is less during that day of the week and time period.

[0060] The power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10, that is, the power consumption P of the motor 38 (refer to Figure 1 ) can be calculated, for example, using the following formula (1).

[0061] [Equation 1]

[0062] Power consumption

[0063] In the above formula (1), "X" represents the load [N] of the passengers 12, "Y" represents the running resistance [N] of the steps 22 (refer to Figure 1 ), and "Z" represents the running resistance [N] of the moving handrail 46. In addition, in the above formula (1), "η" represents the efficiency [%] of the motor 38.

[0064] For example, assume that the power required at the start of the passenger conveyor 10 is the power when the state of 150% of the rated output of the motor continues for 5 seconds. In addition, as the power consumption in the situation where there is no passenger 12 and only the running resistance is applied, the power of about 10% of the rating of the motor 38 is required. In addition, the power consumption during standby in the low-speed operation mode is 3% of the rated value of the motor 38. When the output of the motor 38 is 5.5 kW, the power consumption at the start of the motor 38, that is, the starting power, is 5.5 kW × 150% × 5 s = 41.25 kWs.

[0065] In addition, the power consumption per 1 s of the motor 38 during low-speed operation based on the low-speed operation mode is 5.5 kW × 3% × 1 s = 0.165 kWs. Therefore, in the situation where it is assumed that the standby operation continues for 250 s or more, when performing standby in the automatic operation mode, that is, when making the passenger conveyor 10 temporarily stop, the motor 38 can consume less power. On the other hand, in the situation where it is assumed that the standby operation is less than 250 s, when performing standby in the low-speed operation mode, the motor 38 can consume less power.

[0066] In addition, as shown in the above formula (1), regarding the power consumption of the motor 38, the running resistance of the step 22 also changes according to the floor height of the passenger conveyor 10, etc. For example, in the passenger conveyor 10 with a high floor height, the running resistance becomes larger, so the power consumption during unloaded operation without the passenger 12 boarding is larger than that of the passenger conveyor 10 with a low floor height. Therefore, compared with the low-speed operation mode in which low-speed operation is also performed during unloaded operation, performing automatic operation based on the automatic operation mode can reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10. On the other hand, in the passenger conveyor 10 with a low floor height, the running resistance becomes smaller, so the power consumption during unloaded operation can be smaller. Therefore, in the passenger conveyor 10 with a low floor height, applying the low-speed operation mode can reduce the power consumption.

[0067] The machine learning unit 365 of the present embodiment uses the input load information of the drive device 34 to predict (estimate) the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10. More specifically, the machine learning unit 365 predicts the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10 during operation based on the standby operation mode in the time period corresponding to the load information. The load information of the drive device 34 is the information represented by the power consumption P calculated by the above formula (1). That is, it is the information reflecting the characteristics of the passenger conveyor 10 such as the floor height.

[0068] Then, the machine learning unit 365 outputs the information of the standby operation mode with the lower predicted power consumption in correspondence with time information such as the day of the week and the time period. The machine learning unit 365 can be constructed using, for example, a neural network.

[0069] The schedule creation unit 366 creates a switching schedule for the standby operation mode of the passenger conveyor 10 based on the information of the standby operation mode by week and time period output from the machine learning unit 365. Regarding the schedule created by the schedule creation unit 366, refer to Figure 7 which will be described in detail later.

[0070] The operation control unit 367 switches the standby operation mode of the passenger conveyor 10 based on the schedule created by the schedule creation unit 366. More specifically, the operation control unit 367 outputs a speed command signal (not shown), a stop signal, a start signal, etc. to the converter 32 based on the schedule and the detection result of the boarding-side passenger sensor 51.

[0071] The communication I / F 368 uses, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card). The communication I / F 368 can transmit and receive various data to and from an external device via a network or a communication line.

[0072] <Example of schedule>

[0073] Next, an example of the switching schedule for the standby operation mode of the passenger conveyor 10 created by the schedule creation unit 366 (refer to Figure 6 ) will be described. Figure 7 An example of the schedule for the passenger conveyor 10 is shown.

[0074] In Figure 7 the example shown, the schedule Sc has items of "week", "time period", and "standby operation mode". In the item of "week", information of each day of the week from Sunday to Saturday is stored. In Figure 7 only the information of "Sun" (Sunday) is shown. In the information of "time period", information of each time period divided every 10 minutes is stored. In addition, the division of the time period is not limited to 10 minutes and may be other time units.

[0075] In Figure 7 the shown schedule Sc, the "low-speed operation mode" is set for the period from 10:00 to 10:10 on Sunday and the period from 10:10 to 10:20. In addition, the "automatic operation mode" is set for the period from 14:00 to 14:10 on Sunday. The operation control unit 367 (refer to Figure 6 ) switches the standby operation mode of the passenger conveyor 10 based on this schedule Sc.

[0076] <Control process of passenger conveyor>

[0077] Next, a control method of the control device 36 for the passenger conveyor 10 in the present embodiment will be described. Figure 8It is a flowchart showing an example of the sequence of control processing of the control device 36 for the passenger conveyor 10.

[0078] First, the load information acquisition unit 363 of the control device 36 (refer to Figure 6 ) acquires the load information of the drive device 34 (refer to Figure 1 ) from the converter 32 (step S1). Next, the load information acquisition unit 363 associates the load information acquired in step S1 with the information of the time when the load information was acquired (time information) and stores it as utilization status information in the non-volatile memory 362 (refer to Figure 6 ) or the like (step S2).

[0079] Next, the control unit 361 of the control device 36 inputs the utilization status information (corresponding information of load information and time information) stored in step S2 to the machine learning unit 365 (step S3). Next, based on the utilization status information input in step S3, the machine learning unit 365 outputs the information of the standby operation mode that can further reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10 in association with the information of the time period (step S4). Next, the schedule creation unit 366 creates a schedule for the passenger conveyor 10 based on the standby operation mode information output from the machine learning unit 365 in step S4 (step S5). More specifically, the schedule creation unit 366 creates a switching schedule for the standby operation mode of the passenger conveyor 10. The processing from step S1 to step S5 is performed at a stage before the operation control unit 367 performs the operation control of the passenger conveyor 10.

[0080] Next, the operation control unit 367 switches the standby operation mode of the passenger conveyor 10 between the automatic operation mode and the low-speed operation mode based on the schedule created in step S5 (step S6). During the period when the operation control unit 367 performs the operation control of the passenger conveyor 10, the processing of step S6 is continuously performed. After the processing of step S6, the control processing of the control device 36 for the passenger conveyor 10 ends.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, the load information acquisition unit 363 acquires the load information of the drive device 34 that drives the passenger conveyor 10 during a predetermined period, and records the load information in association with the information on the acquisition time of the load information. Further, the arithmetic unit 364 outputs information on a standby operation mode that can further reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10 when set to a time period corresponding to the acquisition time of the load information among a plurality of standby operation modes. Moreover, the operation control unit 367 controls the operation of the passenger conveyor 10 based on the information on the standby operation mode output from the arithmetic unit 364. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, in the usage state of the passenger conveyor 10 indicated by the load information, the passenger conveyor 10 can be operated in a standby operation mode that can further reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveyor 10.

[0082] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the operation control unit 367 only switches the standby operation mode of the passenger conveyor 10, and does not control the operation state of the passenger conveyor after reaching the rated speed. That is, a situation where the passenger is transported to the lower landing at a low speed lower than the rated speed does not occur. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to achieve power saving of the passenger conveyor 10 without impairing the convenience of the passengers using the passenger conveyor 10.

[0083] Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example of the prior learning period in which the machine learning unit 365 is provided is given, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The machine learning unit 365 may also perform learning in real time during the operation stage being controlled by the operation control unit 367. Further, in the case of causing the machine learning unit 365 to perform real-time learning, the machine learning unit 365 may have the following functions: detecting a deviation between the usage status information of the passenger conveyor 10 for which learning has been completed and the input usage status information, and correcting the learning content based on the deviation amount. By configuring the machine learning unit 365 in this way, it is possible to further improve the estimation accuracy of the machine learning unit 365 when performing learning in real time.

[0084] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the schedule creation unit 366 may also set a time period in the created schedule in which neither the automatic operation mode nor the micro-speed operation mode is applied and the operation of the passenger conveyor 10 is completely turned off. In an operation mode having a time period such as late at night after the building is locked, where the use of the passenger conveyor 10 is not assumed, by incorporating such a schedule, it is possible to further improve the energy saving effect of the passenger conveyor 10.

[0085] In addition, the above-described embodiment or modification example has described the structure of the device and system in detail and specifically for the purpose of easily understanding the present invention, and is not limited to having all the structures described.

[0086] In addition, inFigure 6 The control lines or information lines represented by solid lines in the figure are considered to be the lines required for explanation, and not necessarily all the control lines or information lines are shown on the product. In fact, it can be considered that almost all the structures are interconnected.

[0087] In addition, in this specification, the processing steps for describing the processing of time series include not only the processing executed in time series in the order described, but also the processing that may not be executed in time series but in parallel or individually (for example, parallel processing or object processing).

[0088] Explanation of reference numerals

[0089] 10… Passenger conveyor, 32… Converter, 34… Driving device, 36… Control device, 38… Motor, 51… Passenger sensor on the boarding side, 361… Control unit, 363… Load information acquisition unit, 364… Arithmetic unit, 365… Machine learning unit, 366… Schedule creation unit, 367… Operation control unit.

Claims

1. A control device for a passenger conveyor, which operates based on a standby operation mode during a standby period when no passenger is detected by a passenger detection unit. The control device is characterized in that: The control device includes: A load information acquisition unit that acquires load information of a drive device for driving the passenger conveyor during a predetermined period and records the load information in association with information on the acquisition time of the load information; An arithmetic unit that outputs information on the standby operation mode among a plurality of the standby operation modes, which can further reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveyor when set to a time period corresponding to the acquisition time of the load information; And An operation control unit that controls the operation of the passenger conveyor based on the information on the standby operation mode output from the arithmetic unit.

2. The control device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arithmetic unit includes a machine learning unit that takes the corresponding information of the load information and the information on the acquisition time of the load information as input and outputs the corresponding information between the time period corresponding to the acquisition time of the load information and the standby operation mode that can further reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveyor.

3. The control device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of standby operation modes include an automatic operation mode and a micro-speed operation mode. Among them, the automatic operation mode is a mode in which the operation of the passenger conveyor is stopped during the period when no passenger is detected and the operation of the passenger conveyor is started when a passenger is detected. The micro-speed operation mode is a mode in which the operation speed of the passenger conveyor is set to a micro-speed lower than the rated speed during the period when no passenger is detected and the operation of the passenger conveyor is increased to the rated speed when a passenger is detected.

4. The control device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 3, characterized in that: Based on the learning content of the corresponding information of the load information and the acquisition time of the load information, the machine learning unit outputs the micro-speed operation mode in association with a time period assumed to have a short standby time of the passenger conveyor indicated by the load information and generated in a cycle with the short standby time.

5. The control device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 4, characterized in that: Based on the learning content of the corresponding information of the load information and the acquisition time of the load information, the machine learning unit outputs the micro-speed operation mode in association with the following time period, which is a time period assumed to have a high possibility that a passenger will board the passenger conveyor until a time equivalent to one cycle of the operation of the passenger conveyor after a passenger is detected has elapsed.

6. The control device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 3, characterized in that: Based on the learning content of the correspondence information between the load information and the acquisition time of the load information, the machine learning unit outputs the automatic operation mode corresponding to the following time period, which is a time period assumed that the standby time of the passenger conveyor indicated by the load information becomes longer, and the predicted power consumption during the low-speed operation in the standby time of the passenger conveyor is higher than the starting power applied to the passenger conveyor during the standby time.

7. The control device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 6, wherein: Based on the learning content of the correspondence information between the load information and the acquisition time of the load information, the machine learning unit outputs the automatic operation mode corresponding to the following time period, which is a time period assumed that the possibility of a passenger boarding the passenger conveyor is low during a period until a time equivalent to one cycle of the operation of the passenger conveyor after detecting the passenger has elapsed.

8. A control method in a control device for a passenger conveyor, wherein the operation based on the standby operation mode is performed during a standby period when no passenger is detected by the passenger detection unit, characterized in that: The control method includes the following steps: Acquire the load information of the drive device that drives the passenger conveyor during a predetermined period, and record the load information in correspondence with the information of the acquisition time of the load information; Output the information of the standby operation mode among the plurality of standby operation modes that can further reduce the power consumption of the passenger conveyor when set to the time period corresponding to the acquisition time of the load information; And Control the operation of the passenger conveyor based on the output information of the standby operation mode.

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